Helsinki´s Executive Director Tommi Laitio´s presentation on LGBTQ+ issues for the City of Helsinki both as a city and as an employer. Given at McKinsey Finland´s Day of Service 13.11.2020

1. LGBTQ+ in Helsinki
Executive Director, Culture and Leisure
Tommi Laitio
(@tommilaitio)
McKinsey Finland
13.11.2020

2. People perform better when they can be themselves.
13.11.2020 Tommi Laitio (@tommilaitio) 2

3. Development of the last decades.
13.11.2020 Tommi Laitio (@tommilaitio) 3
Attitudes towards LGBTQ+
people
What people said to
LGBTQ+ people?
What a lot of LGBTQ+
people felt?
Open discrimination ”You and your kind will go to
hell.”
”There must be something
wrong with me.”
Public secret ”You do what you do but I
don´t need to like it.”
”Don´t ask, don´t tell.”
Tolerance ”I don´t care if you are gay or
straight.”
”I am tolerated but not
accepted.”
Celebrating diversity ”I L-O-V-E gay people!” ”People see me as a fun
splash of colour.”
Diversity & Inclusion ”Tell me about your
experience.”
”I can be myself.”
T
i
m
e

4. Coming out
13.11.2020 Tommi Laitio (@tommilaitio) 4
Discrimination Isolation
Source: McKinsey & Company:
LGBTQ+ voices: Learning from lived experiences
Special challenges of LGBTQ+ people in the workplace

5. Helsinki
City – 650 000 residents Employer – 37 000 residents
13.11.2020 Tommi Laitio (@tommilaitio) 5
32 500-65 000
LGBTQ+
1 850-3 700
LGBTQ+

6. So what are we doing about it?
• Official Helsinki Pride partner
• Rainbow crosswalk in front on
Senate Square
• LGBTQ+-aware senior care center
• Rainbow shelves in libraries
• Exhibitions at City Museum and
HAM Helsinki Art Museum
• LGBTQ+ youth club
• Critical analysis on photography
• Diversity plan for services and staff
• Staff trainings on non-discriminatory
speech, unconscious bias,
occupational safety etc.
• QueerStadi – employee resource
group
• Helvi – virtual discussion leader for
a diversity session for teams
City Employer
13.11.2020 Tommi Laitio (@tommilaitio) 6

7. People perform better when they can be themselves.
13.11.2020 Tommi Laitio (@tommilaitio) 7